The Curse Of An Alpha *MATURE*

Chapter 4: Crashing Colden

Thank you for 1,000 reads! I am honoured that people are reading my book and enjoying it.

I planned to post this yesterday but it was my last day of work and I hadn't quite edited it. :)

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The old woman in front of her smelt of cheap lavender perfume and whiskey. It was a distasteful smell, and considering she was flailing her arms around in front of the counter like a mad woman, Alice got a pretty good whiff of it.

She took a step back when the woman's arm nearly collided with her face, growing irritated by the minute.

"No, you listen, mister," the woman pointed a long hot pink nail in front of the young cashiers face. "I told you, I paid extra the last time I tanked my car up and the manager had told me I could have this time for free." Her hands smacked against the tills surface and her eyes bulged out of her eye sockets.

The cashier who couldn't have been older than eighteen, looked like he didn't want to be here. It didn't help the fact that he couldn't just tell the crazy lady to fuck off. Alice watched as he moved his hair out of his eyes and sighed in obvious discontentment. It was a small mercy that she never had to work in retail.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but the manager wouldn't have said that because it's against our policy," he pointed towards the large poster behind the till. "I'm afraid that if you can't pay the price of the gas then you aren't able to fill your car."

Alice tapped her foot in impatience. It was past 5 pm and since it was autumn it would be getting dark soon. She had to find a secure place to sleep before then, not to mention she still hadn't paid for tanking her car up.

Her eyes trailed over the gas station as the woman battered the price and her gaze landed on the small tv that hung in the corner.

"There have been recent sightings of large wolves running near the towns," the news reporter began, "national wildlife specialists are worried that their populations are rising and are calling for a culling. They are warning people to stay indoors during the night. Whilst no attacks have been reported yet, it is uncertain how tamed these wolves may be. Be careful folks..."

Alice hadn't seen one of them in 4 months time. They had gone after her as humans since that point on. But the fact that they were still on the move, that they were able to follow her, worried her. There was only so far she could go within America before she would have to leave the country. She had no money for that and her paintings didn't sell for more than what her food was worth.

She hoped that they would give up. But like the moon called her to submit so did Colden; he was always around her, she could almost taste him when she woke up and hear him when she fell asleep. He was a shadow that wouldn't leave, a constant reminder of what her life had become.

It was mind-numbing and Alice didn't understand what she had done to deserve this torture.

"Cash or card?" The young cashier's voice startled her out of her thoughts. Alice looked up at him as the old woman left the shop in a cloud of rage, muttering about useless adolescents.

Her eyes trailed down to the name badge on his blue uniform polo. Henry looked like he could barely stand on his two feet. Bags hung underneath his eyes and he smelt largely of disease.

He sniffled without taking his eyes off her. Just a common cold, then.

"Cash." Alice handed him $50.

"Anything else, ma'am?" He deposited the bill into the till, the sound of it closing jarring to her ears.

She cast her eyes back up to his face. "Do you know of a nearby motel?" Despite having lost those men in Mississippi, Alice still felt the urge to whisper in case they were listening in. They were finding it easier and easier to find her and thus she had to be more careful. The knowing that she wasn't safe anywhere was terrifying. At the beginning of the first few months, she had genuinely contemplated seeking out Colden. It was hard, having to run and adjust to whatever her body went through. And during those times she had wanted to give up.